COUPLE FINDS OUT HARD WAY THEY'VE BOUGHT A GROW-OP

OTTAWA -- An Ontario couple thought they had found the perfect place
to raise their two young kids.

But, what was to be their dream home soon turned into a nightmare.
They had bought a former marijuana grow-op. Four years later, health
concerns and legal bills are piling up.

The couple, who wish to remain anonymous, say there is evidence of
mould in the home and they worry about the health of their kids. Since
moving in, the husband has suffered from sinus infections.

"Even if you get the air-quality tests, you still have the worry in
the back of your mind, 'Is there any mould in the house?' I don't want
to continue to live in a house that might have an effect on me or my
children later."

These folks found out the hard way they had stumbled into a former
drug den.

"In my case it was my neighbour coming out and saying, 'By the way did
you know this house was used as a grow-op?' and my mouth dropped,"
said the husband.

The family is now embroiled in a costly legal battle over the purchase
of the house. The couple is suing the previous owner as well as the
listing agent and realtor involved.

The couple is drained emotionally and financially. They owe lawyers
more than $100,000, not to mention the stigma they say never goes away
from living in a former drug house.

"Essentially they've been defrauded," said Toronto-area lawyer Andrew
Ruzza.

Ruzza, who is representing the family, believes legislation needs to
change to protect homebuyers in Canada. When neighbours told Ruzza's
clients their home was a former grow-op, a simple check with local
police confirmed it. In some provinces, such as B.C. and Quebec,
however, privacy issues restrict the free flow of this type of
information.

The resale price of a former drug house varies from province to
province, but generally experts say the homes sell for 10 to 25 per
cent less than market value.

For those thinking of making a quick buck by flipping these
properties, the idea may be alluring, but be warned, it's costly.

"It's definitely not something I'd recommend to the average investor,"
said B.C.-based contractor Owen Brown, who rehabbed a drug lab in
Prince George last year. "There was toxic mould everywhere."

Surprisingly, in B.C., where marijuana is a $2 billion-a-year
industry, there is no list of busted grow-op houses for the public to
view.